1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cooking temperature control method and to a cooking apparatus utilizing cooking temperature control.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As an example of a cooking apparatus to which the present invention pertains, a commercially available gas range is shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. 13 illustrates a perspective view of the conventional gas range and FIG. 14 illustrates, on an enlarged scale, a control panel 1 employed in the conventional gas range shown in FIG. 13 and installed at a front thereof accessible to a user.
As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the conventional gas range comprises, in addition to the control panel 1 referred to above, at least one gas burner 2, a heat adjusting knob 4, a temperature sensor 5 for detecting a temperature at a bottom of a cooking vessel, for example, a frying pan, and a fire extinguishing button 6. The control panel 1 includes, as shown in FIG. 14, a "TEMPURA" key 7 that, when operated, sets the gas range in a frying mode in which the temperature of cooking oil is automatically controlled to a target temperature required for a particular cooking; and a "SIMMERING" key 8 that, when operated, sets the gas range in a simmering mode in which an automatic fire extinguishing timer is adapted to be activated upon boiling and, at the same time, the hating power is set to a gentle heating.
When in use, the user has to operate one of the keys, which is appropriate to a one of a cooking items listed in the cooking menu as shown in FIG. 14, before he or she presses an ignition button 6.
According to the prior art gas range, a temperature adjusting scheme (hereinafter referred to as a frying mode) employed therein works with a standard pan, unique to a particular make of gas ranges, in such a manner as to accomplish a temperature control by adequately adjusting the difference between the temperature of the cooking oil, contained in the pan in a predetermined quantity, and the temperature of a pan sensor that measures the temperature in contact with the bottom of the pan. Accordingly, so long as the standard pan is employed which meets requirements set up by a manufacturer of the standard pans, the cooking oil in the standard pan can be heated to a value substantially matcing the preset temperature.
However, a problem has often been encountered with this type of gas range when a non-standard pan is employed. By way of example, assuming that the preset temperature set to the gas range is 180.degree. C., the cooking oil in a iron pan having a 1.2 mm wall thickness (i.e., the standard pan) may be heated to a value about equal to such preset temperature, but the use having an aluminum pan of 4 mm wall thickness may result in a heating of the cooking oil to about 150.degree. C. The use of the non-standard pan does not result in a satisfactory cooking condition.
Thus, with the prior art temperature control scheme, it is not possible to control the temperature of the cooking oil or any other content to a value generally equal to the preset temperature regardless of the thickness of at least the bottom of the pan and/or the type of material used for the pan.